TIME OUT IN TRINIDAD - 1950s - Pt. 17 - Shell Camp Club Point Fortin

All footage contributed by Sooty 1312. This film is not to be copied without the express consent of the operator of this channel. Central to expatriate life in the southern oil camps was the Club. Each camp had its own and as Jennifer Franko mentions in her book, each club would advertise its events at other camp clubs across the oil belt. By far the largest were the clubs at Pointe-a-Pierre, Forest Reserve and Point Fortin but the other camps, no matter how small, each had its own and together they provided a vibrant and exciting social life for company employees, with any excuse used to put on another "club event". This sequence details pleasant days around the pool at the Shell Camp Club and what a beautiful place it is! At the beginning, note the wrought iron grille with the initials "UBC" from the early days, before Shell, when the Point Fortin fields were operated by United British Oilfields. There is also a shot of the Forest Reserve Club, which looks much the same today, some 55 years later. Christmas Day, 1957 was spent at the club as well, with the children playing with their toy boats in the pool.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• United British Oilfields
• UBOT
• UBC
• Shell Oil
• Trinidad
• Toy boats
• Diving
• Swimming Pool
• Opel Kapitan
• Club
• Banyan Tree
• Beach Bar

[Toracube]

Man, this stuff is incredible. Great vids !!!

[oldtimecalypso]

@Toracube Thank you man....your comments are much appreciated!

[fuzzybearphoto]

Shell Camp occupied the area that is now more popularly called, Clifton Hill: after the old coconut estate that existed there.

The old club was destroyed by fire in the 1970's and replaced by the new club obliquely opposite.

Clifton Hill beach as it was before erosion washed it away! People still use the beach a few hundred yards to the east. I'm not a botanist but those trees on the beach are not Banyan. The leaves will leave you with a nasty scrape if you come into contact with them.

[oldtimecalypso]

@fuzzybearphoto I had left in the original titles. I couldn't tell a Banyan tree if it bit me in the behind lol. Will look it up and see what they are.

[seguestt]

This is so very cool!!! I recognise the Veritas Retreat House at 1:35 - 1:37!!! Wow!